Improvement in bottling and corking machines



2 Sheets--Sheet l. &. D. FERGU S.

Bottling and Cnrkng Machines. N0--l48 |98I Patented March 3,1874.

2Sheets-Sheet2. 1.8 D. FEREUS.

Bottling and Uorking Machines. N0 ]L1.8,l98 Patented March3,1874.

FIG

UNrrnD STATEs PATENT @rrr-cn.

JAMES FERGUS AND DAVID FERGUS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BGTTLINGAND CoRKINe MACHINES.

`\, Specication ferming part o'f Letters Patent No. 145,198, dated March4 3, 1874; application filed October 30, 1872.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we,'JAMES FERGUS and DAVID FERGUS, of Scotland, now residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Bottlingand CorkingllIachine, of which the following is a specification:

The invention relates to a bottling and corking machine, by which iiuid is supplied to any number of bottles from a central tube, either by gravity or pressure, and eorked at` the same time.

Figure l is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view ot' the cork-punch head. Fig. 3 is a sectioned plan view of the huid-distributing head. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the turn-table and bottleholder. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectioned end view. p

A is the stand or table of the Inachine. B B are posts which extend vertically from the same; and C is a horizontal shaft, which turns in journals at the upper ends of the posts. D is a pinion on the shaft C. It gears with a toothed sector, E, which turns with the pin a of the handle or lever F. G is an eccentric on the same shaft. Its strap II is fixed tothe upper end of the hollowr tube I, which carries the cork-punch head J. K, Figs. l and 3, is a luid-distributing head, on the upper end of the hollow vertically rising and lowering pressure supply-tube L. It is constructed as follows: b, Figs. 1, 3, 5, is a central chamber in the hub c, which communicates with the aforesaid pressure-supply L, and the gravity supply-tube M. d d d are radial arms, which have on their outer ends the iilling-sockets e e e. The channels f f j' of the arms lead from the central chamber?) to the interior of the sockets, terminating at or near the bottoms of the same. Each socket has a spring exhaustvalve, N, as shown at Figs. 1, 3. The pressure-supply is by means of the hollow verticallymoving pipe L, which has its lower end hinged to the footlever O beneath the stand A. Its upper end is xed to and communicates with the hub c of the distributing-head K. A guide; cylinder, P, on table A, preserves its rectilinear motion. A spiral spring, g, contained therein brings the pipe back into position after it has been depressed by the foot -lever O. The gravity supply-pipe M projects vertically from the head K. Its upper end takes through and is guided by the hub h ofthe cork-punch head J. A slot formed in the hollow tube I admits the nozzle of the same. Q, Figs. l, 4, 5, is a bottle-holder and turntable, which is set flush into thc top of the table A, and. revolves around the pressure supply-pipe L. A pin or bolt, i, which projects from it through a curved slot in the table-top, is secured to the lever R, which also has its center of revolution in the supply-pipe L. The handle simply moves sufiicient to bring two bottles in turn under each socket-that is, there are, in this instance, shown three sockets and six bottle-rests; consequently three bottles are lled at a time, when the handle R is turned, thereby revolving the table the( distance contained between the bottle-rests jj, Fig. 4, which displaces the filled bottles and places the empty ones under the sockets. The bottle-rests j, which are cut into the face of the turn-table, are fitted with rubber or other elastic cushions to allow the bottles to gently yield to the pressure when corkin g, and also to accommodate the machine to any variations in the heights of the bottles, caused by unequal shrinkage when cooling after being cast or blown. Guards or guides l, placed at the rear of the rests j, enable the operators to i peedily adjust the bottles in their places.

The bottles to be illed are placed on the rests j of the turn-table Q, every other one im- Inediately under the sockets c, in which corks m have been inserted. The distributing-head K and the supply-pipes L M are then depressed by pressure applied to the foot-lever O at the end of the supply-pipe L, until the rubber washersa in the bottoms of the sockets bear irmly upon the tops of the bottles, whereby a perfectly water-tight lit is had. On the cock S being opened, the liquor from the reservoir is forced through the pipe L into the chamber b, thence through the channels f into the bottles. When the bottles are to be filled by gravity, the cock S is closed and the cock in the nozzle 0 of the gravity-pipe M is opened. The weight of the descending fluid opens the puppet-valve T, which admits the fluid to the chamber b, when it ows to the bottles through the same channels. The bottles being lled, the handlever F is moved until the eccentric, moving through the medium of the toothed sector E and the pinion D, depresses the cork-punch head J, and the punches U force the corlis into the necks of the bottles. The operator, by movin g the lever R forward, turns the bottle-holder Q, which carries the lled bottles t'roni under the sockets, and places the einpttvr ones under the saine. The air displaced from the bottles by the iiuid is held in the sockets between the tops of the bottles and the bot toms of the corks. Then the cork-plungers U are engaged in entering the corks in the necks of the bottles, the air is forced against the pistons p of the spring air-valves, t'orein theln back, and escapes through the openings g in the cylinders.

Te claini as our inventionl. The combination, with a bottling` and corking apparatus, of a main or central adjustable supply-pipe, through which iiuid may be conveyed to two or more bottles by gravity or gaseous pressure. said pipe extending above and beloiv the distributing devices, substantially as described.

2. The adjustable supply-pipe, in combination with the distributing-head, said pipe being extended above and below said head, and provided with means for regulating and con trolling the ascent and descent ot" the tluid` substantially as described.

3. The combination ot' the puppet-valve and spigot With the supplvpipe for regulating or i mais@ sector E, and lever F, substantially as shown and described.

7. The turn-table Q. having sockets located at equal distances apart, in combination with the lever R and pinion e', and the supply-head having radial arms, so arranged with reference to the sockets of the turn-table that all the filled bottles may be displaced from beneath the supply-sockets, and the empty bottles substituted, bv a single motion ot' the lever l, substantially as described.

In testimoniv whereof we hereunto sign our `names in presence ot' two subscribing witllQSSGS.

DAVID FERGUS. JAMES FERGUS.

Nit nesses:

lfnnxcis D. liisromes,

"'inoniis Iii-zoen. 

